WOMENTORWOMENTOREuropean Federation of Mentors for Girls European Federation of Mentors for Girls

and Young Womenand Young Women

http://www.womentor.eu

Partner: European Coordinator:Projektbüro für innovative

Sozialpolitik Graz - Austria

Action n. 2007-3756/002-001

Which is the Which is the problem?problem?

A common problemA common problem Women generally find many difficulties

in accessing credit, transport, positions of responsibility

and of managing their individual and family lives.

These difficulties contribute to exclude them from economic, labour and social activities

This because: This because: women face specific problem that women face specific problem that

need specific solution by need specific solution by implementing a procedure capable implementing a procedure capable

of taking into account the genre of taking into account the genre dimensiondimension

Why women need a Why women need a

mentormentor The starting point is that women have a particular approach to the world, especially

when they have to face or create enterprise’s occasion.

They often make questions different from those asked from men and the Operators (called MENTORS) supporting them in the implementation of their project must bear

this difference in mind

Gender mainstreamingGender mainstreaming So it is necessary to guaranty the genre

dimension in all political decision as all European

Institution and many regions (including our Region

Basilicata) are doing in the last years

This principle is determined by the This principle is determined by the concept of GENDER concept of GENDER

MAINSTREAMINGMAINSTREAMING

Main themesMain themes The mentor, supporting the women, must take into account the following things:1.Identifying a supporting approach addressing an individual project in a comprehensive way2.Paying attention to genre dimension3.Caring the need for reconciling daily timetables, women ofetn have to manage their family lives and business projects at the same time4.Taking into account the problems related to equal opportunities between men and women, while being aware that the starting point is acknowledging differences rather than ignoring them

Organisation Organisation that can give that can give

support to support to young young

girls/womengirls/women

Support organisationsSupport organisations In Italy and also in our regions

we have a lot of organisations that can support women in the development of their

plans:

We can identify them in:We can identify them in:1. Women organisations2. Syndicates 3. Trade Unions4. Public Administrations5. Other no profit organism that work in this

field

Which kind of support is Which kind of support is

offeredoffered These organism try to offer the following

mentorship: 1. Give a remedy to the structural

fragility of the women enterprises throughout a more organised and really useful tutoring process, according to the beneficiaries exigencies

2. Create or promote new law that give new opportunities for respecting the genre dimension

3. Offer mentors that can guide the women in their personal choices

4. Give training opportunities to women

A guide for mentorshipA guide for mentorship

The guide was created during the realisation of the project “Supporting Supporting Opportunities for Family – friendly Opportunities for Family – friendly Initiatives in Employment – S.O.F.I.E.Initiatives in Employment – S.O.F.I.E.”, an action developed under the European programme called EQUAL)

A guide/manual for mentorship was created by a local

development Italian agency

Società Consortile Langhe Monferrato Roero

Via Emilia, 13 – Acqui TermeTel. 0144.321897 – Fax

0144.356974

Who is a Who is a MENTOR?MENTOR?

The mentorThe mentor The term “MENTOR” derives from Greek mythology: it appeared fro the first time in the “Odyssey” (the great poem by Homer, the Greek poet).

The origin of the word is totally appropriate: at the time of Ulysses’ voyage, the goddess Athena offered Telemachus and aid Mentor.

Today the mentor is an experienced leader or consultant we can count on because he or she has already made the voyage we are about to begin and can guide and help us in our personal conquest.

The rule of a mentorThe rule of a mentor

The “MENTOR” works for:- Fostering autonomy of the young girls/women- Fostering access to information- Developing self-esteem- Making a project consistent- Supporting women’ activities

Mentor’ skillsMentor’ skills

The supporting activity calls for numerous skill both in the technical field and in the field of communicative skills aimed at making a person overcome his or her limits.

The mentor’ skills are:- Rigour- Adaptability- Good communicative skills- Technical skills

What the What the project project

wants to wants to realiserealise

A necessary networkA necessary networkAt national level, as said, we have in Italy a lot of organisms that work to help young girls and/or women giving mentoring services, but a real network to exchange experiences and best practises does not exist at the moment.

So the main idea of MENTOR project So the main idea of MENTOR project is to create this sort of cooperation at is to create this sort of cooperation at international (in this case European) international (in this case European)

levellevel

The main objectiveThe main objectiveSo the main objective of the project “European Federation of Mentors for Girls European Federation of Mentors for Girls and Young Womenand Young Women” is obviously to create and promote the development of a thematic network that exchanging ideas, experiences and best practises could give a better impulse to the use of mentoring for women at European level, offering new approaches and new solutions for women and public administrations.

This network should help young girls/women

in finding employment or in their personal aspects.

Other objectivesOther objectivesThe “European Federation of Mentors for Girls European Federation of Mentors for Girls and Young Womenand Young Women”, of course, would like also to:- Evaluate the typologies of help given at European level- Make a research/interview on young girls expectations- Find the possible women’ needs to be solved or promoted- Create, if possible, a positive lobbying for women

In our idea the Federation should be not focused in particular women target groups but

to all women in general

This, again, to help all young girls/women in finding employment or in their personal

aspects.

An open network (1)An open network (1)For the moment the “European Federation of Mentors for European Federation of Mentors for Girls and Young WomenGirls and Young Women” is composed from the following 16 organisations (that are partners of the European project):

Austria: Austria: 1. Projektbüro für innovative Sozialpolitik Bulgaria:Bulgaria: 2. People to People International – Chapter Plovdiv3. Club Young ScientistsCzech RepublicCzech Republic4. Association FiliaEstonia Estonia 5. ÖökullGermanyGermany6. Mädchenzentrum Café Dauerwelle7. Deutscher Ingenieurinnen Bund e.V.8. Die Komplizen: Mentoring für Schüler gemeinnützige GmbH

An open network (2)An open network (2)GreeceGreece9. Greek Women’s Engineering Association (EDEM)ItalyItaly10. EURO-NETLatviaLatvia11. International Zonta Jelgava ClubPolandPoland12. Stowarzyszenie Wspierania Edukacji Dzieci i Mlodziezy

EuroszkolaPortugalPortugal13. IEBA Centro de Iniciativas Empresariais Beira AguieiraRomaniaRomania14. Regional Centre for Sustainable Rural Development –

CEDERTurkeyTurkey15. Balkaya Youth And Sports Club AssociateUKUK16. Inova Consultancy WiTEC UK

But of course it is opened to new But of course it is opened to new interested organisms!interested organisms!

Examples of Examples of best best

practises in practises in our local our local

dimensiondimension

The principle of The principle of "Equal opportunities""Equal opportunities"

During the years a principle became very important: the general principle of “Equal Equal Opportunities for Gender and non-Opportunities for Gender and non-discrimination and social inclusiondiscrimination and social inclusion”.

This principle is a cornerstone of R.O.P. R.O.P. (Regional Operative Programme 2000-2006 (Regional Operative Programme 2000-2006 and 2007-2013and 2007-2013 and it acts on the following 2 levels (between them related): 1) mainstreaming logic (it finds the needs highlighting the conditions of inequality);2) positive action (initiatives to be put in the field).

The Authority for Rights The Authority for Rights and Equal Opportunitiesand Equal OpportunitiesFollowing the principle of “Equal Equal Opportunities for Gender and non-Opportunities for Gender and non-discrimination and social inclusiondiscrimination and social inclusion” the Region Basilicata has created the

Authority for Rights and Equal Authority for Rights and Equal OpportunitiesOpportunities

that coordinates, make the monitoring and does suggestions or indications (if necessary), guarantees and controls the respect of the principle in each action/initiative of R.O.P.

Some resultsSome resultsMost initiatives of R.O.P. Basilicata 2000 - 2006 have affected the unemployed women (60.3% of target group).

This greater effort may therefore have favoured a better dynamic employment of women than men of the population: women's employment between 2000 and 2004 has increased by 5.5% (compared to 1, 4% of male population).

The R.O.P. was directed to:•Improving the living conditions of women•Improving access to labour world and training•Improving the condition of women at work and redistribution of work

•Promoting women's participation in the creation of socio-economic activities

An example of initiativesAn example of initiativesIn the improvement of living conditions of men and women and the possibility of reconciling work and family life we want to underline the call for proposal for "Supporting for Reconciliation between Supporting for Reconciliation between

Life Family Life and WorkLife Family Life and Work", reported among the best practices to foster reconciliation in the regions in the Objective 1 on "Women's Perspective" a magazine specialized on the Structural Funds "South News."

The call for proposal The call for proposal ““Supporting for Reconciliation between Life Family Supporting for Reconciliation between Life Family

Life and Work”Life and Work”The call for proposal promoted two types of intervention :

1.The voucher conciliation1.The voucher conciliation, that was promoted to encourage the purchase of replacement care services and facilitate female participation in the activities of training and employment promoted with the help of EU funds under the ROP Basilicata 2000/2006. It was addressed to: unemployed women under conditions of having to assist family members under 14 years of age, disabled or elderly (425 applications submitted - 365 women beneficiaries)

2) The incentives aimed at companies2) The incentives aimed at companies, that could ask a public contribution of 75% of eligible expenditure, up to a maximum of Euro 100.000,00, to support the investment costs, consisting in the acquisition of tangible and intangible goods aimed at activation of services for the harmonization of times, ways of working and training with the needs of a family (19 applications submitted - 14 companies beneficiaries)

More informationMore informationFor more information on the specific

call for proposal and/or the equal opportunities

TASK FORCE PARI OPPORTUNITA’TASK FORCE PARI OPPORTUNITA’c/o Regione Basilicata

Viale della Regione Basilicata, 885100 Potenza (Italy)

Tel. 0971.668358E-mail:

pariopportunita@regione.basilicata.it

Where you Where you can find our can find our

helphelp

In our network web siteIn our network web site

The web site created for this project contains:

• presentation of partners organisation • a blog for exchange of information

and best practises• links to other website created by

organisations that are working in the field of supporting girls and young women

http://www.womentor.eu

In our officeIn our office

EURO-NETVicolo Luigi Lavista, 3

85100 PotenzaTel. +39.0971.23300Fax +39.0971.21124

E-mail: euro-net@memex.itWeb portal: www.synergy-net.info